Mbappé’s Penalty Seals Gritty 1-0 Win as France Progress in World Cup
France booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia. Manager Didier Deschamps praised his side’s composure after a tense opening that saw both teams cancel each other out. The breakthrough came in the 69th minute when substitute Désiré Doué’s lively run won a penalty, confidently dispatched by captain Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé’s spot-kick not only proved decisive but also took him to seven goals in the tournament, tying Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot lead. It also moved him to 19 career World Cup goals, just one shy of Messi’s all-time record. Despite Paraguay’s disciplined 5-4-1 block and physical approach, France held firm. The win sets up a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown against Morocco in Boston on July 9.
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